CHAPTER XXXIX.
FIGHT OF THE JAGUAR AND CROCODILE.
The chiguires that escaped past the crocodile, the next instant plungedinto the river, and disappeared under the water. They would come to thesurface for breath in ten or twelve minutes, but at such a distance offthat they needed no longer fear pursuit from the same enemy.
Our travellers took no notice of them from the moment they were fairlyout of the bushes. They saw that the crocodile had knocked one of themover; but the eyes of Guapo and Don Pablo were directed upon a differentplace--the point at which the chiguires had sallied out of theunderwood. These knew that the animals had not issued forth in theirnatural way, as if they were going to the stream to drink, or in searchof food. No--quite different. Their bristles were erect--they wereexcited--they were terrified--beyond a doubt they were pursued!
Who or what was their pursuer? It might be an ocelot, or the yaguarundi,or some one of the smaller cats; for many of these prey on thedefenceless capivara. It _might_ be one of these, thought Don Pablo andGuapo; but what if it was not? What else could it be? What else? _Thejaguar!_
It _was_ the jaguar? As they stood gazing with looks full ofapprehension, the leaves of the underwood were seen to move, and then abeautiful but terrible object, the spotted head of a jaguar, was thrustforth. It remained a moment as if reconnoitring, and then the wholebody, bright and glistening, glided clear of the leaves, and stoodboldly out in front of the underwood. Here it halted anothermoment--only a moment. The crocodile had turned itself, and was aboutclosing its jaws upon the body of the chiguire, when the jaguar seeingthis, uttered a loud scream, and making one bound forward, seized thedead animal almost at the same instant.
They were now face to face,--the great lizard and the great cat; andtheir common prey was between them. Each had a firm hold with hispowerful jaws, and each appeared determined to keep what he had got. Theyellow eyes of the jaguar seemed to flash fire, and the black sunkenorbs of the saurian glared with a lurid and deadly light. It was aterrible picture to look upon.
For some seconds both remained apparently gazing into each other's eyes,and firmly holding the prey between them. The tail of the jaguarvibrated in sudden angry jerks, while that of the crocodile lay bentinto a semicircle, as if ready to be sprung at a moment's notice.
This inaction did not last long. The fury of the jaguar was evidently onthe increase. He was indignant that he, the king of the American forest,should thus meet with opposition to his will; and, indeed, the crocodilewas about the only creature in all the wide Montana that dare oppose himin open fight. But he was determined to conquer even this enemy, and forthat purpose he prepared himself.
Still holding on to the capivara, and watching his opportunity, hesprang suddenly forward, throwing one of his great paws far in advance.His object was to _claw the eye_ of his adversary; for he well knew thatthe latter was vulnerable neither upon its long snout, nor its gauntjaws, nor even upon the tough scaly skin of its throat. Its eyes alonecould be injured, and these were the objects of the jaguar's attack.
The thrust was a failure. The crocodile had anticipated such a manoeuvre,and suddenly raising himself on his fore-legs, threw up one of his greatscaly hands and warded off the blow. The jaguar fearing to be clutchedbetween the strong fore-arms of the saurian, drew back to his formerposition.
This manoeuvre, and its counter-manoeuvre, were repeated several times,and although each time the struggle lasted a little longer than before,and there was a good deal of lashing of tails and tearing of teeth, andscratching of claws, still neither of the combatants seemed to gain anygreat advantage. Both were now at the height of their fury, and a thirdenemy approaching the spot would not have been heeded by either.
From the first the head of the crocodile had been turned to the water,from which he was not distant over ten feet. He had, in fact, beencarrying his prey towards it when he was interrupted by the attack ofthe jaguar; and now at every fresh opportunity he was pushing on, bit bybit, in that direction. He knew that in his own proper element he wouldbe more than a match for his spotted assailant, and no doubt he mighthave escaped from the contest by surrendering his prey. Had he been asmaller crocodile he would have been only too glad to have done so; buttrusting to his size and strength, and perhaps not a little to thejustice of his cause, he was determined not to go without taking thecapivara along with him.
The jaguar, on the other hand, was just as determined he should not. He,too, had some rights. The capivara would not have been killed so easily,had he not frightened it from behind; besides, the crocodile was out ofhis element. He was poaching on the domain of the forest monarch.
Bit by bit, the crocodile was gaining ground--at each fresh pause in thestruggle he was forging forward, pushing the chiguire before him, and ofcourse causing his antagonist to make ground backwards.
The jaguar at length felt his hind-feet in the water; and this seemedto act upon him like a shock of electricity. All at once he let go hishold of the capivara, ran a few feet forward, and then flattening hisbody along the ground, prepared himself for a mighty spring. Before asecond had passed, he launched his body high into the air, and descendedupon the back of the crocodile just over his fore-shoulders! He did notsettle there, but ran nimbly down the back of the saurian towards itshinder part, and its claws could be heard rattling against its scalyskin.
In a moment more he was seen close-squatted along the crocodile's body,and with his teeth tearing fiercely at the root of its tail. He knewthat after the eyes this was the most vulnerable part of his antagonist,and if he had been allowed but a few minutes' time, he would soon havedisabled the crocodile; for to have seriously wounded the root of histail, would have been to have destroyed his essential weapon of offence.
The jaguar would have succeeded had the encounter occurred only a dozenyards farther from the water. But the crocodile was close to the river'sedge, and perceiving the advantage against him, and that there was nohope of dismounting his adversary, he dropped the capivara, and crawlingforward, plunged into the water. When fairly launched, he shot out fromthe shore like an arrow, carrying the jaguar along, and the next momenthe had dived to the depth of the stream. The water was lashed into foamby the blows of his feet and tail; but in the midst of the froth, theyellow body of the jaguar was seen rising to the surface, and afterturning once or twice, as if searching for his hated enemy, the creatureheaded for the bank and climbed out. He stood for a moment looking backinto the stream. He appeared less cowed than angry and disappointed. Heseemed to vow a future revenge; and then seizing the half-torn carcassof the capivara, he threw it lightly over his shoulder and trotted offinto the thicket.
Our travellers had not watched this scene either closely orcontinuously. They had been too busy all the time. From its commencementthey had been doing all in their power to get away from the spot; forthey dreaded lest the jaguar might either first overpower the crocodileand then attack them, or being beaten off by the latter, might take itinto his head to revenge himself by killing whatever he could. Withthese apprehensions, therefore, they had hastily carried everythingaboard, and drawing in their cable, pushed the balza from the shore.When the fight came to an end, they had got fairly into the current, andjust as the jaguar disappeared, the raft was gliding swiftly down thebroad and rippling stream.